Friday, December 16, 2016

Big Tribe - In This Together

East Coast based three piece Big Tribe
are much more than the sum of their parts. This is a creative collective held
down by three primary members, a core group if you will, while still soliciting
freely from the musical imaginations of their many guests. Over thirty
musicians have brought their own distinctive gifts to Big Tribe’s songwriting
through two studio albums and their contributions to the band’s second release,
In This Together, help make this a far greater experience than what we would
have if the band chose to confine themselves to their work as a trio. There’s a
dozen songs on this outing and each one has an unique arrangement and sound
that seems to challenge the musicians each time out and inspire them to
different heights than those scaled in the preceding track. Big Tribe has two
primary vocalists, songwriter Peter Panyon and Bonnie Eyler, and the use of
these two radically different voices contrasts quite nicely and ensures there’s
something here for everyone.

The title song, “All in This Together”,
has a lively feel and a number of unexpected musical elements. The
dependability of the rhythm section creates a compelling juxtaposition with
Panyon’s unusual vocals and the production brings these varying elements
together in such a way that it sounds natural after only a brief listen. “10,000
Years” is Bonnie Eyler’s first vocal on the album and a slice of highly
metaphorical songwriting with a decidedly airy, low-key approach. The majority
of In This Together is devoted to acoustic or otherwise low fi sounds, but
songs like “The Final Boat Out” are spiked with numerous electric guitar fills
and powerful, but never overbearing, drums. There’s a wealth of lyrical detail
in the song and leans towards a vaguely apocalyptic air that helps it stand out
from the rest of the pack. The likely peak of the album, performance and
songwriting wise, is “How the Mind Wanders”. Eyler gives listeners her most
deeply felt vocal yet and it’s an excellent match that makes the most of the
intelligently phrased and observed lyrical content. The music embodies every
ounce of the nuance heard in the lyrics; nothing here is rushed and the
patience they exercise during the performance pays off with one of the album’s
best tracks.

“You Lied” is one of the album’s true
surprise, an often blistering outright rock offering that shows great
discernment and never becomes too heavy-handed. Eyler’s previously docile vocal
performances offer no hint of her capabilities in this area; she’s utterly
believable in her role as a rock singer and Big Tribe responds accordingly. The
band confounds audience expectations yet again with the song and first album
single “July Carol”. Big Tribe transposes the idea of a Christmas carol to the
summer months and brings all of the holiday tropes along for a grand time. The
backing choir of voices is a clever and unexpected touch, but the songwriting
and lyrical content remains as exceptional as ever and the song’s true drawing
power. In This Together will satisfy a wide variety of fans – rock fans,
unrepentant folkies, and rootsy devotees. Big Tribe are endlessly inventive
songwriters and performers and they show themselves able of carrying off this
material with an ample amount of personality as well.

About Me

Student at University of Oregon. Persuing a degree in Jornalism and Marketing. Writing Intern for Indie Music Media LLC based out of Seattle, WA. I enjoy writing music reviews that are informative, honest and positive.